Remember Me
by SD80MACfan
Summary: Mei Tachibana is happy with her new life filled with friends, but she still has to overcome one more big obstacle from her past life. Will she be able to trust and rely on her friends and Yamato through this difficult time in her life?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is a simple story that I decided to write to see if I could write a decent fan fiction about this awesome story. It was originally intended to be a one-shot, but I decided to make it a bit longer as I developed the plot. This is completely based off of the anime and has no relation to the manga, taking place after the OVA special. But it does have some slight inspiration from the movie. Hope you enjoy and feel free to critique me on this. I may just be convinced to write a longer story. ;)**

 _Chapter 1_

Mei Tachibana went by many names in high school, and all of them not very nice. Weirdo, loner, loser, some even worse. She never had any friends, which was the prime reason for the name calling in the first place. But it never bothered her. She believed that friendships didn't matter because everyone would stab you in the back eventually, no matter how close you were to them. But all that changed with her chance encounter with Yamato Kurosawa, the most popular boy at Toumei High School, when she accidentally kicked him. After clearing the air with her, Yamato took the chance to help her realize that not everyone was as cold-hearted as the so-called friends of her childhood.

Since that encounter, her life had drastically changed for the better. Within a year, she went from being a complete anti-social wallflower to having a loving boyfriend in the form of Yamato himself, and a small group of six friends that she could rely and count on no matter what. Mei honestly couldn't have been happier with her new life. She never could have believed that roundhouse kicking someone accidentally could have caused so much to change, not only for her, but for everyone around her too. But despite everything good that had happened to her, she still dealt with depression at times, especially now.

* * *

 _Tuesday, December 10_

It was a cold, mid-December day and final exams were just beginning to take place for the second semester of the year at Toumei High. Sitting in her homeroom, surrounded by her friends, Mei sat quietly at her desk, her hands folded in her lap and her shoulders slouched forward. Her light brown hair fell in front of her eyes, making it hard for someone to see her exact facial expressions unless they were looking directly at her.

Sitting on the desk across from hers, Asami Oikawa was droning on about the upcoming exams. "Next week is gonna be the worst week of my life," the redhead sarcastically remarked.

"How can it be the worst when you've got me in your life?" her boyfriend, Kenji Nakashi, jokingly said.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Besides, we do get all that 'free time' to study together." She added a subtle, yet suggestive wink directed towards Kenji, who laughed before leaning into her with a warm embrace and a quick peck on the lips.

"Ugh. Get a room you two," Aiko Mutō commented. Although the idea of openly showing romantic emotions in public somewhat disgusted her, she still had to smile at the cute couple. They were quite the pair. Her own boyfriend, Masashi Tachikawa, came up behind her, giving her a sudden hug across her ample chest which quickly turned into him practically draping himself over her shoulders.

"Oh come on Aiko, I know that you'd love to spend some private study time with me too," he said, emphasizing "private". She quickly responded with a gentle but firm elbow jab to Masashi's rib cage, causing him to stumble back a bit. Even though she loved him, and did in fact like the idea of having some private time with him, she was still annoyed at how much he tried to lay on the not-so-subtle hints, especially in public.

"Lay off it, jerk," she said brushing her hair back. Everyone else just laughed. Masashi reluctantly submitted but still chuckled along with everyone else.

"At least we have Christmas to look forward to after exams," Yamato commented. "That's got to at least count for something."

Asami practically jumped through the ceiling squealing with excitement. "CHRISTMAS! That's my favorite time of the year! Oh, that reminds me; I wanted to ask you all if you wanted to go Christmas shopping with me this weekend. It'll be super fun!"

"That sounds like an idea," Aiko replied. "Just try not to eat the vendors out of business like you did at the summer festival!"

Asami blushed at the reminder of that night. Not one of her prouder moments. She had eaten too much food and ended up getting sick, which had pretty much ended that day's activities as a group. "Oh come on Aiko-chan," she countered, "It wasn't that bad. And I promise I won't eat that much this time."

"If you say so," she replied with a slight smile.

"Christmas shopping actually does sound like fun," Kai Takemura commented. "I actually haven't been Christmas shopping since I was a kid."

"So it's settled then. This Saturday we'll all go," Asami proudly announced.

"I'm all for it," Kenji replied. The others agreed too. All except Mei, who remained still and uninvolved in the conversation taking place around her. Kai noticed this and decided it was time to get her involved in the planning.

"What about you Senpai, you up to going?" Mei didn't reply. She didn't even move. She just sat silently, only her head bowing a little bit more than it had before. "Mei?" Kai called. Still, there was no response.

Suddenly, all the attention was on her. Something was definitely wrong. And her silence was Yamato's cue. "Mei. What's wrong?" he asked, moving towards her.

Mei sat a few more seconds in silence. She wanted to respond and tell Yamato what was going on, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. Not here, not now. It was the feeling of Yamato's hand on her back that snapped her out of her trance. She felt her chocolate brown eyes get a little bit misty but she fought the tears back. "Nothing really," she replied softly. "I'm okay."

Yamato could tell that there was definitely more to it than she was letting on, but decided to let it go. "Okay," was all he said before pulling her close to him in a warm hug, letting her head rest on his chest.

After a minute, Mei stood up. "Excuse me, I… I need to use the restroom." She walked out of the room and down the hall, the rest of the group watching her leave.

Aiko was the first to say anything. "Yamato, did something happen between the two of you recently?"

"No, nothing at all. Things were just fine until yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" Kai asked.

"Well, we were walking home from school and decided to take a new route home. We ended up passing the hospital and, all of a sudden she started acting differently. I don't know what happened."

"Differently how?" Aiko asked.

"Well, she just kind of stopped talking. She had stopped and stared at the hospital for a second before we kept going, but we moved at a slower pace than we were before. And then, when we got to her house, she didn't really say anything. She just gave me a hug, said goodbye and walked inside."

"Considering that her birthday's coming up, you'd think she'd be a bit happier," Asami commented.

"That's true. And her birthday's Christmas Day," Yamato said.

"Well, I'm going to check on her," Aiko said, getting up and heading in the direction Mei went.

The women's restroom was virtually empty, with no sign of Mei in there. Aiko started to think that maybe she went somewhere else when she heard some sniffling coming from one of the stalls. She walked up to the one stall that was closed and knocked on the door. "Mei? You in there?" she asked calmly.

"Y-Yes," came a weak reply. She heard the door latch release and Aiko opened the door. Sitting on the lid of the toilet was a crying Mei. Aiko knelt down and brought the girl in for a hug. Mei cried on her shoulder for a few moments before pulling back.

"What's wrong?" Aiko asked, wiping a tear off of Mei's cheek. Mei didn't want to say anything. She just wanted to go home and be left alone. But she knew that she could trust Aiko. And she did need to work more on trusting people.

"It's about Christmas," she finally said. Summoning all the strength in her willpower, Mei took a deep breath and began to explain everything.

Back in the classroom, Yamato was getting impatient as it was taking them a while to get back. He was just about to pull out his phone to text Aiko and ask where they were when she reappeared in the classroom. "Where's Mei?" he asked when he noticed that she wasn't with her.

"She went home," came the reply.

"What? Why?"

"She asked me not to say, for now. But I will say that everything makes sense now. Also, we all need to be there for her in the coming days. Apparently this is a rough time of the year for her. But for right now, she just needs to be alone."

Yamato's expression clearly said that he wasn't satisfied, but Aiko cut him off before he said anything. "It has nothing to do with you, Yamato. She told me to tell you not to worry. She'll be all right, but I highly recommend going over to her house after school."

Even if he wasn't 100% satisfied with the answer, he gave an affirmative nod.

* * *

Mei unlocked the apartment door and slowly walked inside. She was so zoned out that she didn't even notice that the key had no resistance when she turned it. She shut the door behind her and proceeded to take her boots and coat off. She was a little startled when she heard her mother's voice asking who was there. Mei knew she was home early from school, but her mother was supposed to be at work all day and wasn't expecting her to be home.

"It's me mom." She replied. "I-I came home from school early."

Her mom immediately walked into the entrance way. She didn't necessarily run a strict household since it was just her and Mei, but she did try to ensure that she was punctual in everything she did. And Mei being home from school extremely early was definitely unusual. But, then again, she had no place to talk because she herself had called into work for the day.

Looking at her daughter, it only took a second for Mrs. Tachibana to know exactly why she was home. She moved forward and knelt down in front of her daughter, taking her hands into her own. She held them for a few minutes before Mei leaned forward suddenly, wrapping her arms around her mother. "Oh mom," said as the tears began to flow. Her mom returned the embrace and rubbed her back, while fighting with tears of her own.

"I miss him so much."


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Yamato trudged through the snow, headed towards Mei's house. He couldn't get his mind off of her. He tried everything he could think of as to why she'd be upset, but nothing made sense to him. It worried him a bit. He was Mei's boyfriend, and as such, he was supposed to know everything about her. But the fact that he couldn't fit this one puzzle piece in place worried him.

Arriving at the apartment complex, he walked up to Mei's door and rang the doorbell.

"Who is it?" came the reply over the intercom after a few long moments.

"It's Yamato," he replied. "I came to check on Mei."

After a few seconds, the door unlocked and opened. "She's actually sleeping right now," Mrs. Tachibana said, "But please come in."

"Thank you," he said as he shut the door behind him and took off his shoes. He noticed that her eyes were a bit red but he elected to not say anything about it. He didn't want to seem disrespectful at all. Instead he went straight to his main purpose for being there. "How is she?" he asked as he followed her into the main living area of the apartment.

"She's all right, just taking things hard. She never really did get over losing him."

The statement caught Yamato off guard. "Excuse me," he said, "Him?"

Mrs. Tachibana stared at Yamato for a moment before a thought of clarity hit her. "That's right. We never told you about what happened, did we?"

"No ma'am, I'm afraid you didn't."

"Well, have a seat at the table and I'll make some tea."

She walked into the kitchen and started to make the tea, all the while not saying a word. Usually, Mrs. Tachibana would talk Yamato's ear off every time he came over. But this time was completely different, and Yamato could definitely feel it.

After filling a teacup for Yamato and one for herself, Mrs. Tachibana sat down at the table. "Three years ago, my husband, Mei's father, passed away from cancer."

Yamato froze. He had known that Mei's mother was single, but he never knew what had happened to her father. Probably because he felt it wasn't his right to know and never bothered to ask "I'm so sorry," he said, trying his hardest to sound genuine.

"It's okay," She said reassuringly before continuing. "We didn't even know about it until about two weeks before he actually passed away. Today in fact. The tumor was in his brain, and it was so big that the doctors said there wasn't anything they could do and told us to start preparing funeral arrangements. The worst part is that he died on Christmas day, Mei's 14th birthday."

This completely shocked Yamato, and made him feel deeply sorry for her. He had known what losing a family member was like, but losing an uncle or grandparent was something completely different from loosing a parent, especially at a young age. And losing them on your birthday had to be one of the most horrible things anyone could have to deal with. "I take it Mei and her father were rather close," Yamato commented.

"Yes, they were. I remember when she came home from the school the day she was accused of killing the rabbit. She was an absolute mess and was afraid that her father would be mad at her, thinking that he'd believe what the teacher had said. She tried to hide herself in the closet to avoid seeing him at all, but he found her nonetheless.

"But rather than lecture her, he picked her up and gave her a big hug. He then brought her over to the couch and sat her down, asking her to explain what happened. I don't know how, but my husband just knew that Mei wasn't the one who killed the rabbit. If I had been the one questioning what happened, I probably would have believed the teacher instead. But I'm happy he got to the phone first.

"My husband was always slightly less traditional than other people. He was definitely less traditional than his father, but he was a good man. And he loved both me and Mei very dearly."

Yamato reflected on all this, just starting to put all the pieces together. "Was…" he started to say, stumbling with his words on this part. "Was Mei there when he passed away?"

"Yes, she was," her mother said solemnly. "Although I should mention that she was there very reluctantly. I practically had to drag her to see him those last few days. She definitely didn't want to be there. I guess she didn't want to admit that she wasn't going to have a father any more.

"He got her a special gift that Christmas. He got her Marshmallow." At the sound of his name, the fluffy white cat popped up over the back of the couch and climbed up onto Yamato's lap. Yamato smiled as the cat nuzzled its face into his palm before stretching and then curling up in his lap. Yamato smiled and so did Mrs. Tachibana. "That's why she's so close to him. She was super excited to get him, and it definitely took away a bit of the sorrow for her, which was probably his intention.

"But he day he died was particularly difficult. We knew he was going to go within a 24 hour period, but we didn't know when. He was in complete pain when we got there. The nurses gave him as much pain medication as they safely could, but it didn't really do much. Still, he pushed through it and tried to put on a strong face for Mei. But the moment he passed she became an emotional wreck. She ran out of the room crying. I tried to chase her but she moved too quickly. The doctor's said they'd page a security guard to get her and keep an eye on her so that I could take care of the paperwork."

Mrs. Tachibana wiped a tear from her cheek. "Afterwards, I went downstairs to try and find her, but the security guards said they weren't able to locate her. I started to panic a bit, looking frantically across the hospital waiting room for her. It was then that I spotted her outside, sitting with a boy about her age who happened to be wearing a cast on his left arm. I walked up to them and saw that they both had cups of hot cocoa in their hands. I assumed that the boy had bought it for her."

At the mention of the boy, Yamato's eyes popped open a little bit. Knowing that Mei was still anti-social at that point in her life, it surprised him that she would actually be talking to someone else, especially on that day.

"She was still crying a bit," Mrs. Tachibana continued, "but not as much as she was when she ran away. I wanted so badly to scold her for running away but, in the end, I decided to let it be. She had gone through enough that day and me scolding her in a public place wasn't going to help matters any. The young boy pointed out that he'd seen her run out of the hospital crying and decided to check on her. He explained that after helping her calm down that he bought the hot cocoa to help her out and keep her warm in the cold. I thanked him for it and we walked back inside."

Yamato smiled and was about to comment on the little boy when they heard some stirring coming from behind them. They both turned to see Mei walking out of her room. She was wearing a matching blue tank top and gym shorts. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen from crying and her hair was matted to her face on one side. Looking up she saw the two of them sitting at the table. She'd been woken up by the sound of talking but wasn't sure who was there. But now, seeing who it was caused her to blush slightly.

"Y-Yamato?" she said, partially groggily, partially confused. Yamato stood up and started walking towards her. Mei instinctively turned her head away and clutched her left forearm with her right hand, something she usually did when she was nervous or embarrassed. She didn't want Yamato to see her like this and her face turned a little redder.

But Yamato pushed that all aside. "Oh Mei," he said softly as he walked up to her. He pulled her into a hug and just held her there. She responded by returning the hug, clutching him a little tighter than he was. She nuzzled her face in his chest and softly cried.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

 _Wednesday, December 11_

The next morning, Yamato did something unconventional. He arrived at Mei's house early in the morning before she left for school. He stated that he wanted to walk with her to school that morning. It surprised her and made her blush somewhat at the fact that he would go out of his way to do something like this for her. But, then again, he was Yamato Kurosawa. He always went out of the way to help others.

The walk to school was slow but uneventful. He chatted with her a bit as they walked through the snow, trying to keep her mind at ease. Halfway to school, they randomly met up with Aiko who agreed to walk with them the rest of the way.

"So how did last night go?" Aiko asked.

"It went all right," Yamato replied. "I got a chance to talk to her mother and I learned about what's going on." He saw Mei's face turn red at the mention of it and decided to change the subject. "Hey, Mei." She looked up at him at the mention of her name. "We're all going out to the mall this Saturday to do some Christmas shopping. Care to join us?"

"Yeah," Aiko chimed in. "It should be fun. It'll definitely help with everything. Getting a chance to take your mind off everything and have some fun."

Mei pondered the idea for a second before responding with a nod and a simple "Sure."

"All right," Yamato said in response. He saw Mei's face dip down a bit and turned to face her. Reaching towards her, he gently cupped her chin and turned her face towards him. "I love you," he said before leaning in to kiss her. It wasn't a very long kiss, but every time they kissed, Mei felt like it was an eternity.

"I love you too," she said after their lips separated. Yamato smiled and pulled her in close.

Arriving at the school, Mei and the others were greeted by Asami and Kenji, who both gave her a big hug. "Yamato told us what happened," Asami explained. "We're really sorry for you. Just remember that we're here for you, okay?"

"Thanks guys," Mei replied. "That means a lot."

She walked over to her locker to retrieve her school shoes. But when she pulled the door open, several pieces of paper fell out. In the past these would usually be hate letters like the ones she had gotten when she kicked Yamato. But instead, they were a bunch of support notes. One had a couple pictures of some cute kittens and a note that said, "Whenever I'm sad, I like to look at cute kittens to cheer me up. Maybe it will cheer you up too. Stay strong Tachibana."

Mei couldn't believe it, and neither could Yamato and the rest. "Where did all these come from?" Yamato asked picking up one of the notes.

"They're technically from me," came a voice from behind them. They all turned around to see Megumi Kitagawa and Momoko Sasano standing there. "Asami-chan told me about what was going on," Megumi explained, "so I decided to do something to help and got a few other students to help as well. I hope you like them," she said with a smile.

Everyone was shocked. They knew that there was a bit of a rivalry between the two over Yamato, so they didn't expect her to do something like this. "You… did this? For me?" Mei asked.

"Of course," she replied "I had to deal with not having a father in my life too, so I know what it's like. Also, I want to try and make things better between us."

"Oh, Megu-chan," Asami said.

Megumi walked up to Mei and gave her a hug. "Stay strong Mei-chan."

"Thank you, Megumi-san," Mei responded.

The rest of the day was filled with everyone spending as much time as possible with Mei. Even during their classes, there was always someone with her supporting her and cheering her up. At lunch time, everyone gathered in homeroom to eat together. Even Kai joined them, even though he normally ate lunch in the cafeteria.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Yamato said as they chatted. "Why don't we all go out bowling after school?"

Aiko and Masashi instantly saw where this was going. "That's an awesome idea," Masashi said. "Mei's awesome at bowling and I want to see her in action again." Mei blushed at the flattery. Sure she was great at bowling but she always tried to tone down her skills, saying it was just luck.

"I actually haven't been bowling in years," Megumi said. "It sounds like fun. I'll call the agency and tell them I won't be able to come in."

Mei was startled. "No. You don't have to do that. Won't you get in trouble?"

"Nonsense, this is for you, not me. And besides, I'll tell them it's an emergency. It's no big deal, really,"

"If you insist," Mei responded, still trying to figure out what had changed in Megumi.

After school, everyone met up at the bowling ally. In order to have some fun, Yamato made a suggestion. "How about we have a tournament?" he said. "We'll each split up into teams of two and compete against each other. Whoever wins the first round will compete with the winning team of the second round."

"That sounds fun," Asami said. "We could each be paired up into couples. You and Mei-chan, me and Kenji, Aiko-chan and Masashi, and…" It was then that she realized that there were nine people, but only enough room for eight players.

Before anyone said anything, Momoko spoke up. "I'll sit out. I'm not much of a bowler anyways. That would leave Kai and Megu-chan on the fourth team."

This caused Megumi to blush considerably. "Hey, wait a minute. You can't just pair me up with him," she shouted.

"Too late," Momoko replied slyly. In reality, she had done it to get Megumi and Kai to spend a little more time together. She had a strong sense that Megumi had feelings for Kai, but didn't want to admit them.

Kai just chuckled. "Come on Megumi, it's not that bad to play a game with me."

Megumi looked at the taller man. She did in fact have some feelings for him. Maybe it was his rugged looks. He had visible muscles that were to die for. And his dirty blond hair, shaved into a thick cut Mohawk, made him look like a guy that could carry himself in even the roughest of neighborhoods.

Or maybe it was his no nonsense attitude. When he saw someone acting out of line, he usually confronted them about it. He had done it with her multiple times when she was trying to interfere with Mei and Yamato's relationship. Regardless of the feelings she didn't want to publicly admit, she reluctantly agreed. "Fine," she said. "But just for the record, this was not my idea."

The game started off with Mei and Yamato going up against Asami and Kenji. After setting up the game on the computer, Asami went up first, managing to get a decent eight spare. Next up was Yamato who got a nine open. After him was Kenji who managed to get a four open with a gutter ball because he was showing off a little too much. Finally, it was Mei's turn.

"You got this Mei," Yamato encouraged her.

Aiko leaned over to Momoko and Megumi and whispered, "Watch this."

Mei picked up her ball and walked up to the lane. Clutching the ball in her hands, she closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, standing in silence for a moment. Right when some of the group thought that she was having another depression phase, Mei's head popped up and her eyes snapped open, with what could almost be described as a look of rage in them.

With all her strength she swung the ball back, took three solid steps forward and pulled her hand forward. With an audible groan, she released the ball which went flying down the lane. At first it looked like it would be a gutter ball as it pulled to the right. But as it got to the two-thirds mark it arced left and sailed into the pins, knocking all of them down in a perfectly executed strike.

Everyone who hadn't seen Mei bowl before was certainly impressed. It definitely impressed Megumi. "Are you kidding me?!" Kenji said.

"That's what I was talking about earlier," Masashi said. "She looks innocent enough but she's secretly a bowling ninja!" Mei blushed at the over-exaggerated comment but thanked him for it anyways.

The game continued with Asami gaining a score of 179, Kenji a score of 108, and Yamato a score of 149. Mei, however, dominated the game and continued to baffle everyone at how good she was with a score of 206, easily beating Asami and Kenji's combined score of 285 with her and Yamato's combined score of 355, winning the round for the two of them.

After the first round, the four of them headed off to get some refreshments while Aiko and Masashi prepared to go up against Kai and Megumi. After getting some food, Mei and Yamato headed over to the soda machine. Yamato smiled at her. "So how are you doing?" he asked gently. "You look like you're doing better."

Mei smiled slightly. "I am," she replied. She looked out across the bowling alley in the direction of their friends. She truly was happy that she had friends that would go out of their way to spend time with her. And it definitely helped with her emotions. "Thanks for suggesting we go here."

"No problem," he said with a smile. "Good game by the way. I'm still impressed that you're such a good bowler."

Mei blushed at the compliment. She was too embarrassed to respond with a 'Thank you'. "You need to loosen up your wrist," she said instead.

Yamato looked at her a bit confused. "Huh?"

"When you bowl; your wrist, it tightens up," she explained. "That's why you got those gutter balls in the fourth and sixth frames. If you loosen up your wrist and spin it around as you throw the ball, it'll help the ball curve down the lane and avoid the gutter."

Yamato smiled at her. "Thanks," he said. "I'll try it out next round." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before they headed back to watch the second round.

In the second round, Aiko managed a score of 152 while Masashi only got 99 for a combined score of 251. Kai and Megumi however proved to be a hard match. Megumi got a 192 while Kai got 191 for a combined score of 383. The others were impressed that a fashion model like Megumi was so good at bowling. They also noticed that Kai and Megumi seemed to be having a competition more with themselves than with Aiko and Masashi. This was especially noted in the way she prouded herself in getting a higher score than Kai, who countered her, stating it was by only one point.

But, the final round came up and they went up against Mei and Yamato. "Good luck Senpai," Kai said. "I have to say, you're a great bowler."

"Thanks Kai," Mei replied. "Good luck yourself."

The final round started with all four of them getting strikes on the first frame. Yamato already saw the improvement with his gameplay when he loosened up his wrist like Mei suggested. By the end of the fourth frame, Megumi had an eight spare, another strike and a nine open, Yamato had an eight spare, a seven spare and an eight spare, and Kai had additional strike, a seven spare and a six spare. Mei already had an additional strike and a six spare. On this frame however, she knocked down eight pins with the first ball but was left with a split between pins 7 and 10.

"Good try Mei," Yamato said. "Just go for the one."

Their game had managed to gain a small group of spectators who were standing behind the group of nine friends, watching the game unfold. Mei picked up her ball after it was returned and walked up to the lane. She shifted her position so that she was more towards the left side and set herself up.

Concentrating everything on her hand movements, she swung the ball back, stepped forward, pulled her hand forward and let the ball go. It sailed down the lane in the direction of the number 10 pin. As the ball advanced down the lane, it inched closer and closer to the right gutter. But just before it fell in, the ball slammed into the side of the number 10 pin. The pin flew across the lane and smacked into the number seven pin, knocking it over for a 7-10 conversion.

Everyone cheered loudly when the seven pin dropped. None of Mei's friends had ever seen something like it before, nor had any of the bystanders watching them. Yamato ran up to her and swept her up in a big hug. "I can't believe you just pulled that off!" he said excitedly as he picked her off the ground.

"I can't believe it either," she replied with a huge smile before kissing him.

By the eighth frame things were heating up and the small crowd had gotten bigger. Megumi had practically forgotten that she was on the same team as Kai and focused all her efforts onto beating him rather than Mei and Yamato. But the further she went, the more frustrated she got.

No matter what score she got on what frame, Kai always overtook her on his next frame. She just couldn't get an edge on him. By this point she already had an additional eight spare, a strike and a nine spare. She was determined to beat Kai no matter what and prove to everyone that he was below her league.

With all her effort, she threw the ball down the lane with an audible groan. The ball sailed into pins 1, 3, 5 and 9, creating a domino effect that knocked the remaining pins down for a strike. "Beat that," she said to Kai as the computer displayed a calculated score of 128 compared to Kai's calculated score of 102.

But she failed to take into consideration the last three frames that Kai had rolled. He had a seven spare and two strikes on his record. After Yamato rolled his eighth frame, Kai picked up his ball and headed for the lane, trying his hardest to remember that this wasn't between him and Megumi, but between them and Mei and Yamato. His first ball of the frame managed to get seven pins, bringing his score up to 129. His second ball got the remaining three pins which brought his score up to 149.

Megumi mentally facepalmed herself for not taking that fact into consideration and, for the first time that game, she actually realized the possibility that she would loose to Kai. But before long, they were on the final frame.

Megumi still had only a calculated score of 128, but she had a second strike under her arm from the ninth frame. Focusing all her energy on the game, she rolled a nine on her first ball, bringing her score up to 157, finished the spare on her second ball, bringing her score up to 177, then finished her game with a strike on her bonus, giving her a final score of 197. Looking at the scoreboard, she mentally congratulated herself. As long as Kai messed up on his tenth frame, she'd beat him a second time.

Yamato was up next. He was currently at a score of 150 with the addition of a five spare, a strike, a seven spare, another strike and another seven spare. He definitely saw the improvement in his game as this had to be the best game he had ever bowled. Focusing on his hand movements, he managed to get a six spare with a six on his bonus, giving him a final score of 182. He walked back to the group where Mei stood up to give him a hug. "Great job," she said.

"Well I had a pretty good teacher," he said with a smirk before leaning in and kissing her. "Thanks for the help, Mei-chan." Mei just blushed

Next up was Kai. He was fully aware of the scores between everyone, including his own score of 165 and the six spare he had gotten last frame, but he wasn't worried. He was in this for fun, but maybe beating Megumi would actually make things a bit more interesting. He grinned at the thought and turned around to face her. "Hey Megumi, I'd like to make a little wager with you," he said calmly. "If I beat your score, you get to go out with me for a day. But if I don't, I'll do one thing that you ask, no matter what it is."

Megumi chuckled inside as she thought of all the things that she could do to embarrass him. "Deal," she said as she shook his hand. "I just hope you don't regret those words."

"I don't plan on it," he replied. He turned around and walked up to the lane. His first ball managed a six for a score of 181, but he was left with a split between pins 2, 4, 7, and 10. Focusing on the three pins on the left, Kai let the ball loose. Everyone watched and the ball sailed into the pins, sending pin 2 to the right. The pin knocked into the number 10 pin, making it wobble back and forth a bit before it finally fell over, giving him a spare and a bonus ball.

As long as he got seven pins he would beat Megumi and win the bet. But if he got less he'd have to do whatever she asked. He was determined not to let that happen. Using his desire to not loose, he let the ball loose down the lane. The ball first knocked down one pin, then three, then six, and finally seven as it sailed into the back of the lane.

Kai smiled at his accomplishment. "Looks like you just won yourself a date with Kai Takemura," he said as he turned around.

Megumi was furious that she'd lost to him. She knew deep down that it was just a pride thing, and she really did want to go on a date with him, but she had a public image to keep up. "Don't say it like that," she quickly countered. "We're just going out as friends for an evening, that's it."

"If that's what you want to call it," Kai smirked. Everyone else laughed.

Finally, it was Mei's turn. The game had literally come down to the wire. Kai and Megumi's total score had brought them up to a score of 395. In the last five frames, she had gotten a seven spare, a turkey which impressed everyone, and a nine open that she wasn't extremely worried about, that brought her score up to 188. With Yamato's final score, it brought them up to 370. All she needed was 26 points to win the game.

She heard a flurry of encouragements come from her friends as she stepped up to the lane. She put in as much power and focus as she could and sent the ball flying into the pins for a strike. When the ball returned, she did the same thing again. The crowd that was watching the game had managed to create such an uproar that almost the entire bowling alley was now focusing on her. The final bonus ball came up and Mei stepped up to the lane. She closed her eyes and was brought back to her childhood memories of her and her father bowling together.

 _"Daddy, look what I did," a ten year old Mei said as she bowled her first strike._

 _Her dad picked her up and spun her around. "I'm so proud of you, my little marshmallow," he said._

 _"If I keep this up, will I become a great bowler like you someday?"_

 _"Absolutely," he replied. "And no matter where you play, when you play or how you play, I'll always be with you, cheering you on. My spirit will always be with you, Never forget that."_

 _"I promise I'll make you proud daddy," Mei said. "I'll become the best bowler ever!"_

 _"I know you will, my little marshmallow."_

Mei smiled as a small tear formed in the corner of her eye. This is for you, daddy, she said silently. She pulled the ball back, took three solid steps forward and pulled her hand forward. She let out a loud "HUUUUUUGH!" as she let the ball go sailing down the lane. The ball sailed into the pins knocking all of them down, except for the 9 pin. The 10 pin, however, bounced off the wall of the lane and pushed the 9 pin to the left. The pin slid across the lane, staying vertical but wobbling a bit. It almost looked like it would stay standing, but the 10 pin bumped into it again and the 9 pin fell with a clunk.

Everyone cheered as the computer displayed the animation for a Turkey before displaying the winning score of 218, and a total score of 400 for her and Yamato. Everyone cheered as Mei was suddenly rushed by her friends who gave her a huge group hug.

Yamato pulled her aside and gave her a huge kiss, still not believing what she'd just pulled off. "I'm so proud of you," he said smiling.

"Thanks Yamato," she replied. "I couldn't have done it without all of your support." She leaned in to kiss him again before turning to look at all of her friends cheering for her. Yes, this was a happy day for her. And it was all thanks to the love and support of all her friends.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

 _Saturday, December 14_

The morning sun shown through the curtains that hung in Mei's bedroom. As was usual on a Saturday Mei slept in a bit longer, despite having worked an extra two hours at the Bakery Farm followed by some extra exam studying the evening before. The light managed to find a break in the curtains and a sunbeam crossed her eyes. Her brain adjusted to this and started to respond, waking her up in the process.

She rolled over to get the sun out of her eyes and lay in bed for a bit longer, slowly fluttering her eyes open and closed as the rest of her body started to wake up. Finally pushing the grogginess aside, Mei pushed herself into a sitting position and turned to look at her clock. 9:15; she'd slept in longer than she'd thought.

Mei pushed her legs off the bed and forced herself to stand up. She walked over to her dresser, picked out a few pieces of clothing and headed to the bathroom. On her way she quickly checked in her mom's bedroom. She wasn't there and wasn't anywhere else in the apartment so she must have gone out already and wouldn't be back until that afternoon, if not later in the evening.

Moving into the bathroom, Mei got undressed and hopped in the shower. With the warm water waking her up the rest of the way, Mei took her time washing her body. As she lathered her hair with shampoo, she thought about the day ahead. It was the day everyone was going Christmas shopping. She wasn't exactly looking forward to it, especially since she never liked looking forward to Christmas in general. Yet the idea of spending time with her friends managed to outweigh her dislikes, but only just.

The thought of Christmas brought her mind back to her father. She tried to shake the thoughts from her head. She didn't like thinking about it. Yes, she loved her father and missed him terribly, but being reminded of that horrible day three years ago was too much for her.

 _Don't think about it Mei,_ she said to herself as she shook her head and pushed her face under the streams of water. She had mentally trained herself to push bad memories aside whenever she started to think about them. She knew spending too much time thinking about bad memories would start to make her become negative on the outside. And she definitely didn't want people picking up on any negative aura coming off of her.

She instead started to think about Yamato as she turned to let the water rinse away the last of the shampoo. She felt bad about not telling him about her father right away; and even more embarrassed that her mother had been the one to say anything. She knew she could trust him beyond a shadow of a doubt; he'd proven it time and again. But this was something that she'd never told anyone up until she talked to Aiko about it earlier that week. And even then it was before Yamato found out, so why was it such a big deal to tell him at all? Was she afraid that he'd look at her differently after she told him?

No, that was stupid. Yamato would never push her away just because of this. But maybe she was afraid of just the opposite. She knew that when dealing with the passing of someone, people often acted differently towards you as a way to compensate. That and it was common courtesy and respect. Yet she had never really had anyone to share her emotional pain with outside of her mother. Yamato was always a loving and caring person, and she had noticed the change in his attitude over the past week. It wasn't a bad thing; it was good that he cared so much about her and wanted to be there for her. But she just felt so exposed.

Her father's death was her one true weak spot. She was afraid of people knowing her weaknesses and taking advantage of them; people had done that in the past. But as she was slowly learning, she had to get over those fears and let people know what was going on. Yes, there was the risk of getting hurt, but if you didn't expose yourself at times, you would never find out who to trust when the time came.

She turned off the water, picked up a towel and began to dry off. "You worry too much, Mei," she finally said. She decided right then and there that today would be different. She decided that she was going to put a good foot forward and have a fun day with her friends and boyfriend.

She got dressed and headed to the kitchen. She looked at the clock and, seeing that it was almost 9:45, decided to find some breakfast. As she rummaged through the fridge trying to find any decent leftovers the doorbell rang. That was weird; people didn't usually come by this early in the morning. She headed over to the intercom and pressed the button. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Yamato," came the reply.

 _Crap,_ Mei thought. _What's he doing here this early? We weren't supposed to meet up until this afternoon. I'm not even ready for anyone to see me, especially like this._ She was only wearing a white spaghetti strap tank top without a bra and a pair of short, pink gym shorts, which combined left little to the imagination. "Uhh… j-just a minute," she said before running back to her bedroom for some decent clothes.

She quickly shucked her gym shorts, replacing them with a pair of sweatpants and threw a dark t-shirt over her tank top. A quick spray of perfume and she headed back to the door, quickly smoothing her still damp hair on the way. She took a deep breath before finally opening the door.

She was startled when she heard a girlish "Surprise!" and a young girl with light brown hair jumped up at Mei, nearly making her fall backwards with a sudden hug.

Mei recovered from her start quickly enough to recognize who it was. "Nagi-san! I wasn't expecting to see you!" she said as she returned the hug.

"She wanted to come see you after I told her about what's been going on," Yamato explained. "Also, I couldn't get a hold of you this morning so I came over to make sure you were okay."

Mei suddenly remembered that she hadn't turned her phone on yet. "Yeah, I just woke up. I had a long night at the bakery yesterday."

"Are you all right Mei-san?" the young girl asked. "Big Brother said you weren't feeling good."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mei said, "Especially now that you're here."

Nagi smiled brightly at the older girl that she looked up to so much. "I brought you something," she said as she took off her backpack. Reaching inside, she retrieved a food container and handed it to Mei.

"What is it?" Mei asked as she opened it up.

"It's that cake that I made the first time we met. I remembered how much you liked it so I made another."

"That's so sweet of you," Mei said with a slight blush. "Thank you." She gave Nagi another hug.

"I'll go put it in the kitchen for you," Nagi said before heading off.

"She was up all night making that," Yamato said with a smile. "I know she puts her heart into everything she makes, but this time she tried extra hard."

"She's a sweetheart," Mei said as she watched Nagi placed the cake in the fridge. As she closed the door, Marshmallow straddled up alongside her and meowed. Mei smiled as Nagi gave the white cat a belly rub. "But I take it that's not the only reason you came here."

"Well like I said I couldn't get a hold of you so I came to check on you."

"I forgot to turn my phone on. I only got out of the shower a few minutes before you got here. I haven't even had breakfast yet."

"Well, you wanna get a bite to eat before we head to the train station?"

"Sure, if you don't mind waiting while I get changed."

"Not at all. And it's my treat too so don't worry."

"Isn't it supposed to be your treat?" Mei said with a smile before heading off to her bedroom. Mei had finally allowed Yamato to front the entire bill whenever they went on a date a few months prior; another step in their relationship. But Mei still teased him about it. Although, the fact that she was the one making the jokes about it managed to surprise her. She guessed she was changing more than she thought.

Today, she opted for a black and white checkered blouse, a tan, thigh-high skirt and black woolen silk pants. She quickly brushed her hair and put on a little bit of lip gloss before heading back out to the living room to put on her brown coat and some black boots.

The three made their way to a restaurant just across the street from the station. Since it was already 10:45 by the time they got there, breakfast was already over and lunch was now being served. Mei got a shrimp rice omelet and some miso soup, while Yamato and Nagi opted for ramen and dumplings. As they ate they chatted about various things, mostly Nagi asking Mei more about her childhood.

"So what did you usually do with your family for Christmas when you were my age?" Nagi asked.

At the sound of that, Yamato stopped eating and immediately made eye contact with Mei. He knew this was a sensitive topic for her and wanted to make sure she was all right talking about it. He gave her that all too familiar look that asked if she was all right with it. Her return look and slight nod was all he needed to see.

"It wasn't anything glamorous," she began. "Most times we would go to my grandparents in the north during the holidays and would spend Christmas and New Years there. They always had a beautiful tree that we decorated and everyone had their own unique ornaments to put on the tree. On Christmas Eve, we would have a huge breakfast and then open presents. The rest of the day I would usually play with my new toys and my parents and grandparents would socialize or we'd all play games as a family.

"My mom and grandmother would always be cooking food throughout the time we were there and we'd usually go to a party with my grandparents some evenings. There was always dancing and great food. Moving into New Years, we would always go to the local temple where there were festivities. My mother, grandmother and I were always dressed in Yukatas and went around enjoying the festive atmosphere. The local temple always had a huge fireworks display right at midnight. That was always my favorite part of New Years; that and getting to spend it with my family."

Mei paused for a moment and a sad smile came to her face as the thoughts of her family brought back the memory of her father. Talking about her childhood brought back many of the memories she had with him. But she reminded herself that she would keep things positive and quickly spoke up before her silence lingered on too long. "Anyways, what about you guys? Does your family have any traditions for Christmas?"

"Not really." Yamato replied. "Most of the time it's just spending time at the house. We'll have a nice dinner and exchange presents, things like that. We'll occasionally have family come over or we'll go see some of our family. Nothing too big."

The conversation shifted as they continued eating. But all the while, the wheels in Yamato's head were turning. He couldn't stop thinking about Mei and her father. He knew there had to be something he could do to help Mei with all this, but what was it?

They finished eating and Yamato paid the bill before the three headed over to the train station. The trip across town didn't take too long and they were soon at the mall. The station was built into the mall complex and it was just a quick walk across the courtyard to the fountain where everyone had agreed to meet up. Asami and Kenji were already there waiting for them.

"We were kind of expecting you guys to come a bit later," Asami said.

"Yeah, well things took a slightly different turn this morning," Yamato replied.

They spent the time chatting and making plans while they waited for everyone else to arrive. Aiko and Masashi showed up ten minutes later with Kai following right after them. He seemed to be looking around anxiously for someone. "Looking for Megumi-chan?" Asami asked him.

"Yeah. We were supposed to meet up here for that date, but I don't see her."

"Maybe she decided to not show up," Kenji said. "She seemed ticked that she lost to you so it would be understandable."

"I don't think she'd be one to break a deal like that," Aiko countered. "She may not like it but she agreed to it; and in front of a large crowd no less. She'll show up."

Kai agreed with her but was still nervous for some reason. In the meantime Asami went over how the day would go. "Since we're all couples here, I was thinking that the guys and girls would go in separate groups first so we can buy our partners gifts. We'll meet up at the food court around 1:30 for lunch and then get back to shopping with our partners for the remainder of the day. We can exchange bags beforehand that way no one can see what we're getting the other person. Sound good?"

Everyone seemed to be in agreement with the plan. However, Nagi whispered something into Yamato's ear. When she was done, he smiled at his sister, nodded and then spoke up. "Nagi wants me to take her to a specific store first. When we're done I'll meet up with the girls so that she can go with them, and then I'll meet up with you guys," he said motioning towards Kenji and Masashi.

"Sounds good," Kenji said. "We'll see you all at lunch." And with that, everyone headed off. Kai on the other hand stayed where he was, waiting for Megumi to arrive as butterflies started to fill his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope you all have been enjoying this story so far. I will admit that I'm fairly satisfied with how its turned out. I've gone back in and done some editing to the previous four chapters. Nothing major, just a few corrections here and there. I'd really appreciate some feedback from you guys on this, so feel free to comment away. Enjoy the rest of the story.**

 _Chapter 5_

The mall itself was massive. At about a kilometer long with three levels and hundreds of shops, restaurants and vendors, it was definitely something to behold. And it actually managed to intimidate Mei. Sure she had gone shopping at malls before, but never on this scale or for the reason she was here now. Mei looked out at the mall from the causeway on the second floor like a young Ashigaru standing in front of an army of enemy samurai for the first time. Aiko and Asami noticed this right away. "Hey, Mei? You all right?" Aiko asked as Mei suddenly jumped from her temporary trance.

"Huh? Oh, did you say something?" she asked. Yep, she was definitely overwhelmed by everything.

"This is your first time in a place like this, isn't it?" Aiko asked.

As if to add to the obviousness of the situation, Mei bowed her head and shook it slightly. The two girls chuckled. "There's nothing to be nervous about," Asami said. "This is going to be fun! So, what did you have in mind on getting Yamato for Christmas?"

Mei silently pouted and blushed. She hadn't really gotten that far in planning. She wanted to get Yamato something, but she still wasn't sure of what he would want. "I… haven't really decided yet," she admitted as she glanced down at the floor.

The two girls had figured that this would be the way it was going to turn out. Knowing the position Mei was coming from, it would be natural to not really know what to get her first boyfriend. That's why they had taken the liberty to prepare a few "helpful" suggestions.

"Well, fortunately you're in the company of the best Christmas shoppers for boyfriends!" Asami proudly over exaggerated. "We'll help you find that perfect gift that represents everything that's in your heart that you want to tell him. The perfect gift that will sweep your man off his feet, and then he'll sweep you off your feet saying 'Thank you for this. I love it. I love you. I-'"

"What Asami means," Aiko interrupted before Asami said too much and Mei became overwhelmed again, "is that we'll help you find the right gift for Yamato."

Mei, although still a bit nervous about all this, decided it was the best chance she had of finding a gift for Yamato. She had a few ideas, but had written most of them off thinking that they were stupid and he wouldn't like them. So, she let her friends lead her to a few of the stores they believed would be perfect to find gifts for him.

One of the first shops they went to, at Asami's behest, was a jewelry shop. It wasn't as fancy as most jewelry shops went, but they did have some nice selections. "Why not get a pair of rings or bracelets?" Asami suggested. "Something that symbolizes your love for each other and reminds the other that you'll always be there for them."

Mei understood the idea, but there were two things holding her back. "I don't think that will work. For one thing, these rings are rather expensive. And we already have the friendship bracelets, the Land keys and the pair rings."

Asami drooped as she mentally kicked herself for not remembering that detail. With Asami down for the count, Aiko took her chance to give some suggestions to Mei. The trio headed to a beauty supply store that had a large selection of perfumes, soaps, lotions and other products for both men and women.

"Guys like it when their girl puts on some new perfume or body lotion," Aiko explained. "And they even like it when their girl gets them some cologne so they can smell nice for you." They wandered around the store sampling different products and even headed to a second store that had a different variety. Mei liked the idea, and did eventually buy a fragrance kit, but it wasn't exactly something for Yamato.

"I'm just not sure," she eventually said. "I agree that some of these colognes do smell nice, but I don't want Yamato to think that I'm telling him he stinks. Plus, I kind of like the cologne he uses now."

Aiko understood what Mei was getting at and decided to find somewhere else to look as she tried to come up with another idea. As they headed out of the store, Mei's phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

 _We've finished our shopping and Nagi is ready to join you,_ the message from Yamato said.

 _Okay. We're on the second floor near the central elevators. Meet you there,_ Mei replied before telling the other girls what was going on.

On their way they happened to pass a lingerie store, to which Asami stopped and pondered. Before she could act on her idea, Aiko came behind her and pushed her away from the store. "No, no and no," she said as the redhead began to protest. "They aren't anywhere near being at that point in their relationship, you pervert."

"But I wasn't going to-, Aiko-chan, you can't just-," she tried to protest before finally admitting defeat with a groan. Mei chuckled at the two girls and glanced back at the store Asami had pointed out before catching up with them. The thought of a time when she could enjoy those types of things with Yamato did sound nice to her. But that time wasn't now because she knew she wasn't ready to go that far with him just yet.

* * *

Kai had been waiting by the fountain for 20 minutes. _Where could she be,_ he wondered as he paced back and forth. His impatience and restlessness was really getting the better of him. He was just about to pull his phone out to ask Yamato what he should do when he spotted it. The signature curly, light brown hair of fashion model Megumi Kitagawa.

Kai smiled as the girl walked towards him with a not so pleasant look on her face. Given her expression, he could only guess what the delay could have been. Despite how she was feeling, Megumi attempted to at least be hospitable today. "Hello, Takemura. I hope you haven't been waiting too long," she said.

"Not extremely, but I was getting a little worried," he replied.

Megumi blushed and turned away quickly. "W-why would you be worried about me. We're just going shopping as friends. This isn't a date."

"I was worried because I care about all of my friends and their wellbeing. Not just certain ones," he replied.

Megumi blushed even more. "W-well, if you must know, it was because Momo-chan refused to come with me and she made me miss my train. There. Are you satisfied?"

Kai chuckled. It was as he predicted. Although her outfit made it seem like it was a little more than that. But he brushed it aside for the moment. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Anyways, let's get going."

The two of them walked through the mall together, browsing at the various shops and vendors. Kai wanted to use this as an opportunity to learn more about Megumi as a person. "So," he asked, "I'm curious to know what the fashion model Megumi Kitagawa does when she goes shopping."

Megumi was a little surprised that someone else, especially someone like Kai, would be interested in the things she would shop for. It actually made her feel a little proud inside. "Well, I sometimes get outfits from the studio as a thank you from the companies that manufacture the products I model. But I don't always like them and a few end up being sold online once they're released. But I'll show you some of the things I shop for."

The two went to a few clothing stores and browsed around. Megumi eventually picked out a few outfits to try on and decided to ask Kai for his opinion on them. As he inspected the different outfits she tried on, he couldn't help but be impressed with the eye for fashion that Megumi had. Even though she was a model, she had impeccable taste.

After a few outfits, Megumi decided to take a chance of her own. "I think I'd like to see you try some outfits on," she said.

The comment genuinely surprised Kai. "You want me to model for you?" he said partially joking.

"Of course. I don't want you to feel left out."

Kai was literally lost for words at this sudden change in Megumi. But he decided to humor her. And trying on some of the outfits would be fun. But there was one small problem. "Well, the thing is, I'm not really good at picking out clothes. Most of the time I just pick up whatever is available and abides by the dress code at school."

Megumi chuckled slightly, seeing how someone like Kai didn't understand how fashion worked. However, she decided to humor him and help him out. She even pointed out a few fashion guidelines that she had learned throughout her time modeling.

As she helped him pick out a few outfits to try on, Kai happened to glance at the price tag on a shirt that caught his attention. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the price and he stood there stunned for a few seconds.

"What's wrong?" Megumi asked when she noticed him staring off into space.

"You pay ¥12,000 on one piece of clothing?!" he said surprised. Usually, he had never paid more than ¥1,500 for a t-shirt, or any clothing for that matter. After all, his family wasn't exactly rich and he was used to going cheap or second hand when he absolutely needed clothes.

"No, not all the time. But most big brand names like the ones I model for run that high on a regular basis."

Kai stood back as he looked at the shirt he had intended to try on, not sure if he wanted to anymore. As Megumi looked at him it suddenly dawned on her why he was acting strange. Looking back on what she normally saw him wear and what he was wearing now, she realized that he had probably never been shopping on the higher end like she had. Modeling was always a decent paying job for her, but she hadn't really thought about what people who weren't as fortunate were doing.

Looking at the shirt he had, she said, "I think it really suits you. It matches your hair style rather well."

"You think?" he replied, a little surprised.

"Mmhmm. In fact, I'd like you to try it on right now."

Now Kai was really surprised. "N-no, I don't think so. I-I can't even imagine myself wearing something like that. I couldn't afford something like that unless I saved up for several months."

"Oh come on. You'll look really cool in it," she said. "And don't worry about the price. I've tried on some designer clothes that go up to ¥50,000 and I definitely can't afford those."

Kai looked at Megumi and then back at the shirt. He wanted to try it but he wasn't really sure. Was he really worthy enough to try on something so expensive? _I do want to get better acquainted with Megumi,_ he said to himself. _And I would like to feel nice for once in my life. I'll try it._

After trying the shirt on, he felt a lot happier and Megumi seemed to like him in it. The word sexy even managed to cross Megumi's mind as he showed off the shirt. But Kai knew he wouldn't be able to get it and put it back along with the other clothes he tried on for her. But as they left the store, Megumi's thoughts were captivated by the situation she had just encountered.

* * *

After meeting up with Yamato to get Nagi, the four girls wandered through the mall. Aiko and Asami explained the situation they were having with Mei and finding a present for Yamato. "Since you're his little sister, you know a lot more about Yamato and what he likes," Aiko said. "Do you have any ideas to help her out?"

Nagi was more than happy to help out. "Uh huh. I'll show you a couple places."

With that, they traveled to several stores that Nagi said had things her brother liked. Amongst them was a store that was specifically for teen entertainment. They had the hottest music, movies, anime, manga, video games and more. Aiko and Asami took the time to browse a bit as they saw this store as a place to get some things for their own boyfriends as well.

Meanwhile, Nagi took Mei around the store showing her some of the things that Yamato liked. But even then Mei was a little unsure. "Are you sure he'll like this stuff? I'm not really into some of these things," she said as she looked at an anime that Nagi had pointed out. "Even if I got him one of these, I can't exactly say that I'd enjoy them myself. After all, we are supposed to enjoy things together."

Nagi understood what Mei was saying, but still responded with a "Yep. These are his favorites." She paused for a minute before asking, "What sort of things do you two have in common?"

"Huh?" Mei asked a little confused.

"If you want to be able to spend quality time with Big Brother, why not find something that both of you like? So what are some interests that the two of you have?"

"Well, we like walking home together, and we study together a lot. He had mentioned that we have a similar taste in clothes, but there's not much else I can think of."

"Well, maybe you could try to enjoy some of the things that he likes. After all, you two are a couple. Couples are supposed to enjoy the things that the other enjoys."

Mei paused and thought about what Nagi said. She wasn't wrong. One of the best ways for her to grow further and closer with Yamato was to involve herself in some of his favorite activities. It would show that she cared about him and his interests. She eventually picked one of the anime that Nagi said he'd been waiting for a while to be released. Even though it was about Mechas and Dragons, things that she didn't necessarily care for, she decided to get it for him. Maybe watching it with him would change her mind.

As she prepared to buy it, she happened to glance at the store across the concourse. In the window was something that caught her attention. Suddenly, her eyes brightened up. Without thinking she set the box down and started to walk across to the other store in a drone-like fashion. Nagi saw where Mei was going and quietly followed.

Aiko and Asami also saw Mei leave the store suddenly and started to follow her as well. "Mei-chan," Asami called out. "Where are you going?"

Mei didn't respond immediately. She just stared in the store window at what had caught her eye. "I know what I want to get Yamato."


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

As planned, everyone met up in the food court at 1:30 PM. Like the rest of the mall, the food court itself was massive. There were several restaurants, a variety of food vendors and even a grocery store. And with the Christmas rush going on, it was rather crowded. The group managed to find a set of tables, set their previously swapped gifts down and headed to get food.

Since she had already eaten a late breakfast and wasn't very hungry, Mei opted for some teriyaki salmon with fried rice and headed back to the table where everyone else had gathered. As they ate they discussed their plans for the holidays. Among the topics was Christmas dinners and Asami mentioned what her family did for their dinner.

"We usually get some Sentucky Fried Chicken. It's basically been a family tradition since I was little. Yeah, it might not be original but I don't care. It's delicious!"

"You know," Aiko commented, "A new branch opened up a few months ago in the shopping plaza not too far from my place."

"I know the one you're referring to," Yamato said. "It's the one right across from the MgRonald's, right?"

"Yep. Although the manager there tends to give me the creeps," Aiko said. Just the thought of that blue-haired guy made her skin crawl. And the fact that he over-emphasized his delight when people, especially women, bought something just made her want to punch him all the more.

"Yeah. He's a really shady guy," Masashi said. "I mean, who wears sunglasses indoors at 7:00 in the evening?"

"Who knows what he's doing under them," Aiko commented. "He's the reason I usually go to the MgRonald's instead. Yeah, it might not be as healthy, but the day shift manager there is really friendly."

"And that redhead with the short twintails is super cute," Asami said.

As the conversation continued, everyone shared their traditions and plans with one another. Mei even chimed in a bit with stories of what her family had made in the past during her Christmas dinners with her grandparents. Aiko and Nagi were both interested in hearing about some of the foods they had made and were practically begging for some of her grandmother's recipes by the time Mei was finished talking. Yamato smiled inwardly. He had noticed that Mei was gradually becoming more open when it came to talking about these things. He was happy for her but he could still sense a little bit of hesitation in her voice and posture. Even so, it was a beginning.

As they continued talking, Kenji happened to look across the food court and noticed someone; or rather a pair of someones. He nudged Asami and said, "Hey. Check out over there."

Asami looked in the direction he indicated and saw the same thing. "Hey guys, Check it out." Everyone looked and saw what the other two had seen. Kai and Megumi; sitting at a table, eating lunch and appearing to be having a pleasant conversation.

"Told you she'd show up," Aiko said to Kenji.

"At least they seem to be getting along," Yamato commented.

"Ohh," Asami said, "I wish I could hear what they're saying. Who knows what kind of stuff they're talking about," she said with a somewhat devilish grin; to which Aiko conveniently responded to by bonking her on the head with the edge of her hand.

What the two happened to be talking about was actually just a bunch of random topics. Despite the friendly act they were both putting on, Kai and Megumi were both nervous. Kai was still on edge about what had happened in the clothing store. He had known that Megumi had money to spend; a lot more than he did in fact. But actually seeing what it was like to be on that side of the social class made him nervous.

Megumi was nervous about the same thing, but for the exact opposite reason. She had always known she was well off when it came to money. And her saving habits helped ensure that. But she never really thought about how people that weren't as well off as her lived. Sure she did things that normal teenagers her age did, but she was usually the one that paid for everyone else because of the money she had. And that had gotten her in a mess that she was happy to be out of for the most part. But it wasn't until now that she actually realized how people that weren't as well off as her actually looked at it. It was kind of surreal for her.

The conversation continued as they randomly found things to talk about. But they both knew they were avoiding various, and blaringly obvious topics in general. But there was one thing that Kai wanted to know. Something he'd been wondering since earlier in the week. And he'd finally built up the courage to break the ice.

"Hey, Megumi?" he asked as he grabbed a piece of ginger chicken with his chopsticks. "Why did you get all those notes for Mei? I mean, the two of you aren't exactly on the best of terms, so it kind of surprised me to see something like that from you."

Megumi feigned innocence and pretended to be insulted. "Why would you ask something like that, idiot?" she huffed. "I saw someone that was dealing with something and wanted to cheer them up. Is that wrong?"

"No, it's not wrong. And you know I didn't mean it like that," Kai countered. "I was just curious, because you did something that doesn't seem to match who you are and how others see you."

The statement caught Megumi for a moment. He had a fair point. It was definitely something that she wouldn't have done under normal circumstances. But there was a reason. After a few minutes of staring at her plate, she finally spoke up.

"Well, the reason is," she began before pausing. Kai looked at her quizzically for a moment before she continued. "It reminded me of myself."

"Huh?" Kai was a bit confused.

"Mei reminded me of myself, okay?" Megumi said in a flustered tone before calming down. "I never had a father growing up. He left my mom early on and I never saw him, or even knew him for that matter. Plus, my mom always worked night shifts and was barely home when I was. All my friends in school always talked about the things they did with their parents. It all sounded so cool."

"But, at the end of the day, I would always come home to an empty house that never had any of that. I remember so many nights when I would cry myself to sleep, wishing I could be like everyone else and have a real family."

Kai looked at Megumi. She was still looking down at her food, but he could see her facial expression perfectly. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, her lips were slightly trembling, and he swore he saw a little moisture developing in the corner of her eyes.

"When I heard about Mei's father, it brought back a lot of memories," she continued. "I've always been sensitive towards people that had divided families and I try to be as supportive of them as possible, since I've been through that myself and know what the struggle is like. In fact, one of the things I'd like to do after I become a successful model is to build an organization to help bring awareness to the struggles of living in a divided household."

"When I heard about what happened, it was as if everything I felt and knew about her was instantly washed away. It was like I was looking at someone completely different. Someone that was just like me. Everything about who she was and why suddenly made sense. And I realized that I couldn't stay mad at her. And I definitely don't like seeing people suffer like that. So I felt like I had to do something to help her."

Kai smiled. _So the ice queen does have a heart,_ he thought to himself.

Megumi suddenly realized she was rambling. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking all open like this."

"No need to be sorry. I completely understand," Kai said. "But it's nice to know that you actually do care about people, even the ones you don't completely like." Megumi blushed at the statement and looked away. Just saying everything had made her feel like a complete jerk as her own words had brought her to reality. "But at least you're taking steps towards a better future. I like that about people."

His statement caught her off guard. "You… do?"

"Sure. I respect when someone realizes their mistakes and starts doing things to correct it rather than ignore it and continue down their destructive paths. It shows that you're mature and willing to learn and change."

Megumi smiled. She hadn't thought of it that way, and Kai's statement just seemed to melt her issues away. "Thanks, Kai. That means a lot. You really are a good friend."

After lunch, everyone paired up with their significant other in preparation for the second half of the day. The idea of meeting up for karaoke was mentioned and everyone decided it would be a nice way to end the day. Nagi, on the other hand, chose to forgo the activity and would have her eldest brother, Daichi, pick her up and take her home instead.

Everyone went their separate ways with Mei, Yamato and Nagi heading off into the mall to do some more shopping. Even though this was technically supposed to be a date between Mei and Yamato, it wasn't a problem for either of them to have Nagi tag along, even if it was only for a little while. She had gone with them plenty of times before. But the younger girl had a special admiration for Mei and used any opportunity she could to spend time with her.

As they wandered from store to store, Yamato and Nagi found various gifts for their parents, brother and other members of their family. But Yamato noticed that Mei wasn't buying anything for her mother. He finally decided to ask her as he spied her looking at some scented candles.

"Well I never really got her much for Christmas to begin with," Mei Explained. "I mean, I would occasionally get her something here or there, but I haven't done anything for her since my Dad passed away."

Nagi, always the observant one, spoke up. "Don't you think your mom would be sad that you haven't gotten her anything? I mean, she's probably pretty lonely since your dad passed away, and not getting a gift from you might be adding to her sadness."

The statement caught Mei off guard. She had never even thought that not getting her mother a gift would have made her feel sad. And the more she thought about it, the more the idea began to hit home. Mei smiled and then knelt down to pat Nagi on the head. "You know, you're right. I've probably been a horrible daughter to her since then," she said forlornly.

"I don't think so at all," Yamato said. "You've just been going through the motions. But I do think that it's time you end your boycott on Christmas. Maybe it's time to get her something as a way to start that."

Mei smiled at the two as she stood up. "I agree. Let's find something for her."

They wandered around the mall a bit, and as they did Yamato and Nagi asked Mei what types of things her mother liked. She explained that she didn't have many hobbies, but that she did like trying different beauty products. It seemed that every week she was trying a new mud pack, sheet mask or moisturizer.

Yamato suggested the idea of getting her a pass for a day at a spa, but Mei admitted that she didn't have enough money for that. As they passed a salon, Nagi stopped when she noticed something in the window.

"What about something like this?" she asked. The item in particular she had pointed out was a basket filled with a variety of lotions, soaps, bath salts, towels, sponges and anything else you could think of for an at-home spa experience.

Mei looked at it, looked at the price tag, and said, "I'm not sure. This one's kind of expensive."

"Then why not make your own?" Nagi asked.

Mei looked at her, somewhat confused, before Yamato chimed in. "That's a great idea. You know what she likes best. So go pick out the same things that are in here, but the fragrances and types she likes, and put them in a gift basket for her. And if you're careful, it'll be a fraction of the price."

Mei's face lit up when she realized what the two were saying. In fact she felt a little embarrassed that she didn't think of it before hand. "That's a wonderful idea," she said. "Let's do it."

They went to a few stores and picked out a few different lotions, bath salts and other cosmetic items, as well as a washcloth, sponge and pumice stone. Mei even found a do-it-yourself bath salt kit that would allow her mother to make a variety of different bath salt depending on what she wanted. Yamato also recommended getting a few scented candles to help with the mood, to which Mei agreed.

With their shopping completed, Yamato and Mei brought Nagi to the train station to meet with Daichi. Mei suggested giving the gifts she bought for her mom to Nagi to hold on to for the time being. The young girl agreed and they set up a time when they would make the gift basket. After the train left, Mei and Yamato headed to the karaoke bar where everyone else was waiting. On the way Yamato started up a conversation.

"I have to say, I'm proud of you today," he complimented

"For what?" Mei asked.

"Well, for the way you've been improving. Last Christmas I could barely get you out of the house. And you were still shy and didn't talk to many people. Now look at you. Shopping for Christmas presents; sharing past Christmas memories; going to a karaoke bar with your friends. I'd say you've definitely been improving in your social life."

Mei smiled. He wasn't wrong. She'd noticed the change too. And what was best about it was that doing these things actually made her feel happier. She still had difficulties in some areas, but with her friends all supporting her it was easy to deal with them.

As they arrived at the karaoke bar, Yamato got a text from Kai. "Had a better time with Megumi than I was expecting. Thanks for inviting us out. Sorry we couldn't join you for karaoke. Have a busy day tomorrow and so does Megumi. Catch you on Monday."

Yamato smiled. There was another person that had improved since he'd first met them. Megumi's change in attitude was better than what he expected since her big social breakdown over the summer. Despite that, she had recognized that she had been given a second chance to fix things and she was taking full advantage of it. And that made Yamato happy.

The time spent at the karaoke bar was fun and Yamato managed to finally get Mei to sing a duet with him. To the amazement of everyone, Mei was actually a decent singer. Sure she was still a bit shy, but the support of her friends encouraged her to finally do a solo song, and then a duet with Asami.

By the end of the day, everyone was tired but happy. As they all started to head their separate ways they agreed to re-exchange each others' gifts the next day. During the train ride home, Mei fell asleep on Yamato's shoulder. Looking at her sleeping peacefully, he smiled to himself, brushed her hair behind her ear, and then wrapped his arm around her.

As he did, he felt his phone buzz with an incoming text message. Looking down at the number he flipped the phone open and read the message. He smiled, typed out a response and hit send. Closing his phone he leaned his head back against the window and closed his eyes for a bit. The gift he had in store for Mei would be one she definitely wouldn't forget.


End file.
